Beauty & The Butcher — Restaurant in Coral Gables

Beauty and the Butcher 6915 Red Rd. Coral Gables, FL 33143

4 Stars

I love visiting a Steak House. Every time I walk into one classically decorated, I expect to see the Rat Pack in the corner booth. I dig that vibe. Beauty and the Butcher did not disappoint in this aspect of a steak house, complete with the requisite forest green leather upholstery.

As an Amicus Curiae for the Michelin family of restaurants, I get to eat in some amazing places and some places like this. This establishment in Coral Gables serves some excellent starters, and I can see why they are Michelin-recommended, but there are significant issues at play here.

For starters (see what I did there?), their service is abysmal. If I rated on service, which I do not, this would have been a 1-star review. As it is, I am sticking with my 4 stars for reasons that will soon be evident. My server was Jordan. I was Jordan's first table of the evening and he was already in the weeds. How is this possible? Maybe he was behind in his prep work? Jordan's knowledge of the menu amounted to my understanding of differential equations. I know they exist and people use them, that's about it. Jordan knew the menu existed as it was in my hand and I had to use it as I was at a restaurant, but that was about it. More importantly, he knew absolutely nothing about the Steaks. If you turn your attention to the name of this grub-slinging organization, you will notice that it includes the word “Butcher.” This leads one to believe they actually butcher something here; however, if they do, it is apparently not meat. The prominently displayed dry-age box was empty (I could see it from my table). The menu states that all of the steaks are dry-aged. What they fail to tell you is that it is not done on-site. I guess the box is for tourists. I asked if any steaks were butchered on the premises or if they all came in single-serve vacuum packs from Sysco. Jordan had no idea and had to get the manager. The manager confirmed that they do not butcher their steaks at Beauty and the Butcher. So that was a lie. A lie I informed Michelin about. All that aside, I managed to order a Porterhouse rare, Yellowfin Tuna Crudo, Thai Beef Tartare, and Branzino a la Plancha. While I no longer consume alcohol, the drinks looked so damn tasty I had to order the Deep Roots cocktail.

At least the kitchen staff was on point, as my order was up in an acceptable amount of time. Snapping some pictures of the fixins, I dug in. As I placed my fork in the Porterhouse to carve off a bite, I immediately knew it had rested too long and was closer to medium plus than to rare. I was correct. The good news is that it didn't matter as it was low-grade Texas Roadhouse quality bovine. The only difference was at Beauty and the Butcher this hunk of substandard beef will set you back $120.00 instead of the $19.00 at Texas Roadhouse.

Looking on the bright side, the Yellowfin Tuna Crudo was 5 Stars all day. I paid an extra $35 for the caviar and it was well worth it. Consisting of Calamansi compressed strawberries, Gooseberries, Watermelon, Fresno Aqua Chili and fresh herbs, this was undoubtedly a work of gastronomical art. The Thai Beef Tartare was a tad on the tough side, albeit delicious on the palate. The Branzino a la Plancha was prepared with meticulous care and oh-so scrumptious. Another 5-star dish. While not the best I've ever had, the side of charred Broccolini was quite good. The Deep Roots Cocktail was expertly mixed and deliciously complex.

The Big Boy says, “The service sucks big time, and the Steak is a fraud, but everything else is an...

This was one of those Miami Spice menus I was excited about and the food was in fact incredibly delicious but the vibes and the place itself was just so boring and gloomy. I get sometimes the dim lit vibe works but at this joint it was too dark and boring. As soon as I walked in I wanted to turn around and go home and that never happens to me. They closed all the windows with black out curtains and that might be the reason why it feels so somber but something has to be done or they will lose clientele. Anyways let's talk about the Miami Spice menu, shall we?

First of all, let me tell you that Chris, the bartender was the most courteous and delightful waiter/bartender at the bar area and another reason why I'm rating it four stars because tip tier service goes a long way with me. I chose the croquettes for appetizer, the truffle organic chicken for main and the s'mores for dessert. Before that I got to enjoy a nicely prepared and mixed old fashioned with a hell of a presentation. Delivered in a glass enclosure with smoke infused by this contraption that Chris was holding on the other hand. It added a very unique smokiness and flavor to an otherwise tradition one. These basque cheese croquettes tasted like no other I've tasted before and the paprika emulsion was a nice touch.

Now that has to be one of the most tender, juicy, flavorful pieces of chicken I've ever tasted. Sitting on pomme purée with a natural jus on the side that was finger licking good. I know this is more of a steakhouse but this chicken was perfectly cooked and not lacking flavor at all. This would be a good choice for people that are not big on red meat. Last and not least is the s'mores dessert that was a perfect ending to an exceptional meal. That torched meringue on top was a nice touch and if you're a s'mores and chocolate feen, this will be the one for you. Ended up having another cocktail by the name of "Rock the bells" made with Espolón Tequila since it started to pour when I was ready to leave and conversed with Chris for a short while.

Again, what killed it for me is the ambiance and overall vibe of the restaurant and I hope something changes and the perhaps I'd make some time to come back and try...

I rarely write reviews, but given the price point and Michelin Guide mention, I felt compelled to share our experience.

Upon arrival, we were promptly and warmly greeted by the staff and shown to our table. Our party arrived in waves, and we were informed that we would need to place our entire order at once. Once everyone was seated, we ordered a variety of appetizers: the focaccia bread, cheese and charcuterie board, croquettes, and Argentinian shrimp.

The focaccia, though served cold, had good flavor. The cheese and meats platter was quite small but packed with flavor (especially the pickled onions), which were outstanding. The croquettes had bits of ham but were mostly filler. The shrimp was the standout among the appetizers, though nothing particularly memorable.

For entrées, we ordered the filet mignon (both wagyu and regular), New York strip, ribeye, steak frites, and branzino, along with sides of mac and cheese and mashed potatoes. Unfortunately, the dishes were not served at the same time. The wagyu filet, regular filet, and steak frites were notably dry. When we brought this up, we were told that wagyu is typically dry, something any steak enthusiast would disagree with. The replacements were cooked more on the rare side, which made them somewhat more palatable, but the texture still lacked the richness and tenderness expected at this level.

The mashed potatoes were particularly disappointing, resembling a grainy soup with a strange French onion soup consistency...definitely not mashed. The mac and cheese was just okay.

The highlight of the evening was the service. Our server was attentive and accommodating, and we truly appreciated being able to book a table for 8 on short notice. The noise level required shouting across the table. That said, the food did not meet expectations for the price or reputation. I wouldn’t recommend this place for steak lovers. Maybe for a drink and...